U.S. Department of Education
International Education Programs Service
National Resource Centers Program
Access to the World and Its Languages
The mission of the International Education Programs Service (IEPS) is to meet the national needs for expertise and competence in foreign languages and area or international studies. IEPS administers 14 international education programs. These programs are complementary in nature and designed to benefit a variety of audiences through training programs, research, start-up or enhancement projects, and fellowships.
National Resource Centers
This program provides grants to institutions of higher education to establish, strengthen, and operate comprehensive and undergraduate centers that are national resources for:
• Teaching modern foreign languages, especially the less and least commonly taught languages.
• Disciplinary instruction to provide a thorough understanding of areas where these languages are used.
• Disciplinary instruction in international studies.
• Internationalizing professional programs, including language study.
• Center-related research and dissemination.
• Curricular and instructional materials for K-16 educators.
Eligible Applicants
Institutions of higher education.
Center Activities
Grants may be used to support:
• Modern foreign language instruction.
• Instruction in fields necessary to provide a full understanding of the areas, regions, or countries in which the languages are commonly used.
• Resources for training and research in international and foreign language aspects of professional and other fields of study.
• Opportunities for training and research on issues in world affairs that concern one or more countries.
• Outreach on national, regional, and local levels.
• Linkages with overseas institutions of higher education and other organizations that may contribute to the teaching and research of the center.
In addition to conducting the activities listed above, a comprehensive center shall:
• Maintain specialized library collections.
• Employ scholars engaged in training and research that relate to the subject area of the center.
And an undergraduate center shall:
• Maintain library holdings, including basic reference works, journals, and works in translation.
• Employ faculty with strong credentials in foreign language and area and international studies.
For More Information
E-mail questions to or visit the IEPS Web site at for more information, including: application deadline, application package, technical assistance, workshop and meeting schedules, and program
statute and regulations.
Students should visit the IEPS Web site at: a list of currently
funded NRC institutions and contact the schools directly regarding selection procedures and competition schedules.
About the National Resource Centers Program
The launching of Sputnik I in 1957 led to the federal government’s most significant participation in modern foreign language and area studies research and training in history—
The National Defense Education Act (NDEA) of 1958. The federal Office of Education began administering the National Resource Centers (NRC) Program under Title VI of the NDEA, and the U.S. Department of Education continues to administer it under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. The centers supported under the NRC Program conduct a broad range of activities that include instruction, outreach, scholarly research, maintenance of library resources, and teacher training. Collectively, these activities represent a programmatic effort that focuses on particular regions of the world and the relevant issues connected tothose regions; and, they constitute a national capacity in modern foreign languages and area and international studies.
Here’s what administrators at National Resource Centers institutions have to say about their experiences with the National Resource Centers Program:
“The security and prosperity of the United States depend in part on how well we are preparing new generations of graduates to understand a complex, volatile world. Our goal is to prepare them to live and work productively, in a variety of international, multi-cultural contexts, abroad and at home. Title VI support provides the critical margin of excellence that allows us to accomplish this at UW-Madison and across the country.”
Giles Bousquet, Dean of International Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison
“The National Resource Centers Program enables faculty, students, and the wider public to generate and disseminate basic knowledge about every corner of our increasingly interconnected world. Whether training the new generation of experts to become proficient in less commonly taught languages or preparing academics and professionals to become tomorrow’s international leaders, the NRCs and related programs are the keys to our continuing success in this new global era.”
Anand A. Yang, Director, JacksonSchool of International Studies, University of Washington
“The long-term partnership between universities and the federal government enabled by Title VI have built an institutional framework for area expertise that is unique in the world today. As the product of this collaboration, I am exceedingly proud to be the director of one of the NRCs for South Asia. The South Asia area studies programs in the United States are the envy of my colleagues in Australia, Canada, England, and Germany.”
Kathryn Hansen, Director for Asian Studies, The University of Texas at Austin
U.S. Department of Education
Office of Postsecondary Education
International Education Programs Service
1990 K Street, N.W., 6th Floor
Washington, DC20006-8521
Tel: 202-502-7700
Fax: 202-502-7860